Developing a Personal Statement on Evaluation and its Importance in Dynamic and Fluid Organizational

1. Develop a personal statement of what evaluation means to you and how it can and should be practiced in dynamic, fluid, and political organizational and community environments.  In other words, if a client asked you to explain your understanding of evaluation, your approach to evaluation, how you would work with stakeholders, and so on, what would you tell him or her?  In your statement, explain what processes you think are important for:

a. Your view on the purpose(s) of evaluation

b. Interacting with stakeholders

c. Designing and implementing an evaluation

i. How you would approach determining an evaluation’s design, data collection methods, and sampling strategy

d. How you would validate the data collected

e. How you would report on the findings of the evaluation

Since this is a personal statement, and not a scholarly paper, references are not required.  However, if you think it is appropriate to reference a particular author, then feel free to do so.  What is important is YOUR understanding and beliefs about evaluation’s role in improving programs and society.

Note: The usual qualifications about plagiarism apply, see your student handbook for details.

2. Evaluation role(s) in organizational effectiveness and social justice: Develop a personal statement about the role(s) you see evaluation playing in organizations.  If a potential client was interested in your description of evaluation as a field (question 1), and was interested in hiring you, but was unclear about the benefits of working with you, what would you tell him or her about:

a. Evaluation in service of organizational effectiveness

b. Evaluation in service of social justice

Since this is a personal statement, and not a scholarly paper, references are not required.  However, if you think it is appropriate to reference a particular author, then feel free to do so.  What is important is YOUR understanding and beliefs about evaluation’s role in promoting organizational effectiveness and/or social justice.  

3. Key learning experience:  What is the one thing you learned from this course that you know you will remember when and if you undertake another evaluation study?  This “aha” moment, or insight, might have taken place in the context of a class activity/lecture, in your evaluation group meetings, or in meeting with the client.  Explain what this was and why it will be memorable.